A mobster accused of extorting money from a Manhattan real estate firm submitted recommendations from prominent politicians to a judge, in the hope of getting off lightly.

But the mass mailings had been sent to millions of other supporters.

Anthony 'Tony O' O’Donnell tried to make out he had political support at the highest levels, as his lawyer filed 17 thank-you letters, including notes from President Obama, Bill Clinton and New York Senators, as part of his defense.

Captured: Federal agents escort Anthony Vechoione, center, an alleged member of the Gambino crime family, after a mobster roundup in 2010

Gambino family member O'Donnell hoped
that this evidence would persuade the judge to look kindly on his case.
This is now unlikely as it was revealed that the letters were just mass
communications.

The mobster was arrested in a huge police operation in January 2011 and stands accused of using force or fear to extort money from the owners of Sitt Asset Management, a multimillion dollar property company headquarted in midtown Manhattan.

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O'Donnell faces sentencing on December 18 and faces 37 months in jail under a plea agreement, as reported by theNew York Post.

Yesterday O'Donnell's lawyer sent his sentencing memorandum, which usually includes statements of support from acquaintances in the hope that the judge will knock some time off the sentence.

Wiseguy: Reputed Gambino member Tommy Orefice is taken to court

An election-night letter from President
Obama read: 'Anthony, I’m about to go to speak to the crowd here in
Chicago, but I wanted to thank you first.' This was also sent to
millions of other Democrat voters.

Also submitted was a note from former President Bill Clinton, stating: 'Anthony, Thank you so very much for your message on my 66th birthday. Hearing from you made a special day even more memorable,' This was a mass mail-out from the Clinton Foundation.

The Post reports that O’Donnell has previously been convicted for the armed robbery of a UPS truck and other extortion charges.

Assistant
U.S. Attorney Whitman Knapp claimed that O’Donnell was the right-hand
man to a powerful Gambino group, that he “has a significant criminal history” and the man
“poses a danger to the community.”

The huge police operation in January 2011 led to the arrest of nearly 125 alleged mobsters.

Members from all five New York crime families - Gambino, Bonanno, Colombo, Genovese and Luchese - were taken in and more than 800 federal agents took part in the round up.

LET ME OFF LIGHTLY? TONY O'S PROOF OF HIS POLITICAL CONNECTIONS

Dear Anthony,

I'm about to go speak to the crowd here in Chicago, but I wanted to thank you first.

I want you to know that this wasn't fate, and it wasn't an accident. You made this happen.

You organized yourselves block by block. You took ownership of this campaign five and ten dollars at a time. And when it wasn't easy, you pressed forward.

I will spend the rest of my presidency honoring your support and doing what I can to finish what we started.

But I want you to take real pride, as I do, in how we got the chance in the first place.

Today is the clearest proof yet that against the odds, ordinary Americans can overcome powerful interests.